Mountain - Haiti Observer Blog

On 27 December 2013, President Michel Martelly visited the sites of Nerette and Morne Hercule (Petion-ville). These are the two of the first rehabilitated neighborhoods reconstructed after the devastating earthquake of January 2010, under the 16/6 project.

This government project is supported by the United Nations (UNOPS, UNDP, ILO, and OIM) for rehabilitating and rebuilding 16 neighborhoods that were seriously affected by the 2010 earthquake. The project is designed in a way to facilitate 5,000 families living in six camps to find their new homes. The Haitian President was accompanied by Ms. Jolicoeur Yvanca Brutus, the Mayor of Petion-ville, representatives from UN agencies and officials from the Unit of Housing Construction and of Public Buildings (UCLBP).

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Pic la Selle, Haiti's highest mountain peak, measures 8,793 feet above sea level. Situated in the West Department, it is attached to the Chaîne de la Selle mountain range. The main activities of this mountainous region are hiking and camping.

To make the trip to Pic la Selle, two forms of transport will get you there: a four-by-four all terrain vehicle (ATV), or a motorbike with a driver. The bikes cost ten dollars apiece to rent, and if you want to avoid the confusion of getting lost on your way to Pic la Selle, bring a GPS device with you.

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Millions of years ago, the Massif de la Hotte was separated from the rest of the country now known as Haiti by a sea channel that was wide and deep. The remoteness this separation caused gave way to a wellspring of naturally occurring species of plants, birds and reptiles. Today, all that separates the mountain range in the south west of Haiti from the rest of Haiti is its height of 7700 ft.

Found to the far west of the Tiburon Peninsula, the Massif de la Hotte is still home to many of Haiti's most diverse species, endemic to the area and often endangered. The threat comes from the steady decline in Haiti's forests. As it stands, this mountain range has some of the last cloud forests found in Haiti at its peak, deforestation through floods, mudslides and human effort having taken the once abundant geographical feature by force.

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Many rural area towns across Haiti suffer from the same problem of limited water supply. For the Massif de la Selle town of Thiotte, perched at an elevation of between 1,200 and 1,800 meters above the sea, their water problem could have been described as nightmarish, a situation that can so easily lead to the spread of diseases such as the current Haitian epidemic of cholera. Some help has been given to the town of Thiotte, found to the south of Forêt des Pins, where once the residents would have to travel far distances by foot just to get water.

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As part of a new series highlighting those areas of Haiti that most people have never seen, Terra Incognita took a step into the mountain range of Grande Colline as the pilot for their program, focusing on the area for the information to be gathered on one of Haiti's last remaining forests.

Located in the south west of the country, in the Tiburon Peninsula, Grande Colline isn't easily accessed by the average voyager. The team consisting of a filmmaker, a journalist, photographers and biologists accomplished their search of the Chaîne de la Grande Colline, which shares the Massif de la Hotte with Chaîne de Macaya by using a helicopter. The area sparked interest because, at above 2000 meters, it still boasts areas with original cloud forest. But, while its neighbor to the east, the Chaîne de Macaya has been studied extensively, Grand Colline remains vastly undiscovered because it's inaccessible by roads.

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With Haiti's transportation system, filled as it is with well-occupied moto-taxis on unpaved roads, a little mountain bike riding fits in well in the country that makes nail-biting transportation an everyday occurrence. Called Mountain Bike Ayiti, the stage race is being put on for its second year in the country in January of next year, following the success of the first event early this year.

Having drawn the attention of riders from home and from abroad like, Marla Streb, Hans Rey, and the race's winner, Sonya Looney this year, the race will offer up a challenge to the riders who traverse the aptly titled 'land of mountains' next year. They are bound to find great adventure riding through the mountains above Port-au-Prince and along the coast of Cotes des Arcadins.

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Haiti seduces all visitors to the island with her tropical and cultural splendor. Her history is steeped in royal rulers, an intoxicating racial heritage, vibrant, indigenous art, and the compelling rituals of Voodoo-ism.

Since the 2010 earthquake ruined the country's infrastructure, one of the strategies to rejuvenate it has been eco-tourism. The global green movement has been encouraging conservationists to invest in natural resources to keep eco-systems healthy and thriving. And also to attract revenues which contribute to economic growth.

Haiti's neighbor, the Dominican Republic (DR), has become enriched on revenues coming from eco-tourism. Haiti's wealth of untapped natural resources is a prime candidate for eco-tourism development also. Sharing the island of Hispaniola's abundant eco-systems with the DR, it is only a matter of targeting which resources have potential for significant revenue-growth to attract private investment.

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Haiti has scored a first for its struggling tourism industry. It will host the first-ever pro-am mountain-bike race to be viewed on U.S. television, with sponsorship by Pepsi Max. The event called Mountain Bike (MT) Ayiti will challenge participants in a 65-mile race. It will include an 8,000 foot ascent up to La Visite National Park on the first day of the race.

Travelcology, another sponsor, is collaborating with Haiti's Ministry of Tourism (MOT) to promote breath-taking mountain trails in virgin land never before accessed by visitors. Upon reaching La Visite National Park, bike-racers will view its un-touched forest, before making the descent towards Marigot.

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Are you into mountain bike racing? Do you love nature? Do you want to conquer undiscovered places in Haiti? If yes, then don't let yourself get left behind. It's time for you to register at the upcoming Mountain Bike Haiti Stage Race. The first-ever pro race will kick off on January 30 next year.

The race track runs through the Haiti National Park, some parts of which are still unchartered territory. During the five-day event, competitors are set to participate in ecosystem building projects. Then, they will race through a total of 85 miles, biking along the Chaine de la Selle mountain range; starting from Port au Prince to Jacmel. The participants are expected to traverse extreme terrains and rocky roads. The event will close with a Carnaval celebration, wherein participants will get to party with the locals in Jacmel community.

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